resolve
Americanverb (used with object)
-
resolves,
present (3rd person singular)
-
resolved,
past participle, past
-
resolving
present participle
-
to come to a definite or earnest decision about; determine (to do something).
I have resolved that I shall live to the full.
- Synonyms:
- confirm
-
to separate into constituent or elementary parts; break up; cause or disintegrate (usually followed byinto ).
-
to reduce or convert by, or as by, breaking up or disintegration (usually followed by to orinto ).
-
to convert or transform by any process (often used reflexively).
-
to reduce by mental analysis (often followed byinto ).
-
to settle, determine, or state in a formal vote or formal expression of opinion or intention, as of a deliberative assembly.
-
to deal with (a question, a matter of uncertainty, etc.) conclusively; settle; solve.
to resolve the question before the board.
-
to clear away or dispel (doubts, fears, etc.); answer.
to resolve any doubts we may have had.
-
Chemistry. to separate (a racemic mixture) into optically active components.
-
Music. to cause (a voice part or the harmony as a whole) to progress from a dissonance to a consonance.
-
Optics. to separate and make visible the individual parts of (an image); distinguish between.
-
Medicine/Medical. to cause (swellings, inflammation, etc.) to disappear without suppuration.
verb (used without object)
-
resolves,
present (3rd person singular)
-
resolved,
past participle, past
-
resolving
present participle
-
to come to a determination; make up one's mind; determine (often followed by on orupon ).
to resolve on a plan of action.
-
to break up or disintegrate.
-
to be reduced or changed by breaking up or otherwise (usually followed by to orinto ).
-
Music. to progress from a dissonance to a consonance.
noun
-
resolves
plural
-
a resolution or determination made, as to follow some course of action.
- Synonyms:
- decision
-
firmness of purpose or intent; determination.
verb
-
(takes a clause as object or an infinitive) to decide or determine firmly
-
to express (an opinion) formally, esp (of a public meeting) one agreed by a vote
-
to separate or cause to separate (into) (constituent parts or elements)
-
(usually reflexive) to change, alter, or appear to change or alter
the ghost resolved itself into a tree
-
to make up the mind of; cause to decide
the tempest resolved him to stay at home
-
to find the answer or solution to; solve
to resolve a problem
-
to explain away or dispel
to resolve a doubt
-
to bring to an end; conclude
to resolve an argument
-
med to cause (a swelling or inflammation) to subside, esp without the formation of pus
-
(also intr) to follow (a dissonant note or chord) or (of a dissonant note or chord) to be followed by one producing a consonance
-
chem to separate (a racemic mixture) into its optically active constituents
-
physics
-
to distinguish between (separate parts) of (an image) as in a microscope, telescope, or other optical instrument
-
to separate (two adjacent peaks) in a spectrum by means of a spectrometer
-
-
maths to split (a vector) into its components in specified directions
-
an obsolete word for dissolve
noun
-
something determined or decided; resolution
he had made a resolve to work all day
-
firmness of purpose; determination
nothing can break his resolve
Usage
What are other ways to say resolve?
To resolve something is to come to a definite or earnest decision about it. How is it different from decide and determine? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
resolvesimple
-
resolvessimple
-
have resolvedperfect
-
has resolvedperfect
-
am resolvingprogressive
-
are resolvingprogressive
-
is resolvingprogressive
-
have been resolvingperfect progressive
-
has been resolvingperfect progressive
Past
-
resolvedsimple
-
had resolvedperfect
-
was resolvingprogressive
-
were resolvingprogressive
-
had been resolvingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of resolve
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English verb resolven “to alter, loosen, temper,” from Latin resolvere “to unfasten, loosen, release,” equivalent to re- re- + solvere solve
Explanation
To resolve is to settle or make a decision about something — often formal. A college's board of directors might resolve to recruit more minority students. As a noun, resolve refers to a strong determination to do something. If you make a New Year's resolution to exercise every day, you'll need plenty of resolve to stick with your program. The verb descends from Middle English resolven "to dissolve," from Latin resolvere "to untie." In English, the obsolete sense of "to dissolve" can be seen in this line from Shakespeare: "O, that this too too solid flesh would melt, thaw, and resolve itself into a dew."
Vocabulary lists containing resolve
Words for a New Year
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
List 7
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
19th Amendment (1920)
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It specifies no tax periods or matters, purporting instead to resolve “any and all claims,” forever, before agencies it does not even name.
From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026
He will not being doing that again, thus his renewed resolve to reclaim his throne.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
For the first time, scientists were able to resolve extremely fine, fringe-like structures along the edges of these granules.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 8, 2026
Roman strategy was therefore clear: Cling on long enough for Ottoman resolve to falter, some discontented portion of Mehmed’s empire to revolt or aid from Christian Europe to arrive.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
I went back to my cell with a new resolve: the next time I was permitted a shower I would take with me three of my gospels.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Enterprises only pay when the agent autonomously resolves an issue from start to end.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026
Luckily, the illness resolves with antibiotics, and it’s not fatal.
From Slate ● Jul. 17, 2026
Hickman, now owned by meatpacking giant JBS and Brazilian egg supplier Mantiqueira, said the alleged conduct predated their late-2025 acquisition of the company, but that the settlement resolves all allegations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
"What we've shown is that if space-time has this non-trivial topology, then it resolves one of the deadliest problems of the cosmological constant," said study co-author Stephon Alexander, a professor of physics at Brown.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 19, 2026
The national feeling of the tommy resolves itself into this—here he is.
From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque
That rate might change slightly as more claims are resolved, but it is up from around one in three, or 35%, of such claims a decade ago.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
Since taking office, Hochman has moved to dismiss a number of violent use-of-force cases against police and resolved others with lenient plea deals.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
Heirs receive assets after valid claims are resolved, assuming that probate assets actually exist.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026
"Our people have firmly resolved that our nation will never again go back to the dark days of fascism and that Bangladesh will never be a client state," a foreign ministry statement said.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
By the time he had turned back to me, I had resolved to hold my tongue.
From "Homeless Bird" by Gloria Whelan
That case was considered a bellwether that could have set the tone for resolving thousands of similar lawsuits across the country.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
One of my patients revels in being a peacemaker and resolving fights among her three teenage grandchildren, despite her own issues with anxiety and memory lapses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
With that in mind, resolving the situation one way or another is understandably viewed as a priority for Real before the transfer deadline.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Most investment contracts include an arbitration clause for resolving disputes.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
I went to the job apprehensive, resolving to watch my every move.
From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
